A Little Bird Told Me
by angel-death-dealer
Summary: Kate needs bedrest after falling ill in the jungle, and whilst fighting her stubbornness, Jack and Kate have a very interesting conversation about what a 'little bird' told him.


'Stubborn' didn't quite describe it. There had to be a stronger word for stubborn without being insulting. Whatever it was, it was needed to describe Kate. You'd think that the only doctor on the island would be listened to. You'd think that when she was told to take it easy, she'd think 'yeah, that sounds like a good idea'. But if you thought that, you'd be wrong.

Kate had been disappearing into the jungle for weeks. Going on hikes with Sayid to try and work the transceiver, joining Locke on his hunting trips, walking Vincent now that neither Michael, Walt or Shannon were there to walk him. Every day she was going off at sunrise, and coming back at sunset. Jack kept on warning her that she should take it easy every now and then, before she ran herself into the ground, but, surprise, surprise, she didn't listen.

Of course, it was also typical that it was exactly when Jack had been thinking to himself how lovely the hatch was when it was so quiet and peaceful, Locke had come into the hatch with Kate, demanding that she see Jack.

But, naturally, Kate stood there insisting that she was "fine, now" and that she "didn't need to waste Jack's time". So Locke had told him what had happened. It seemed that whilst Kate was out pushing herself to the limit, she had brought herself over the mark and had collapsed and had been unconscious for several minutes.

It had been a struggle, but eventually, Jack had got her lying down, and Locke had gone back to his boar hunting when it was clear that Kate was in safe hands now and wasn't going to run away.

"Is this where you say 'I told you so'?" She asked him, breaking the silence that loomed over them whilst he tended to her.

He smiled, remembering her asking that the first time she had come back from a boar hunt, with a large graze on her cheek. "I'm not big on rubbing it in." He smirked, repeating his phrase from the previous time.

She shrugged her shoulders, letting out a sigh. "I guess I should have taken it a little easier." She realised.

Jack gave her the 'understatement' look that she had grown used to. "Maybe a little more than 'a little'."

"I can't help it, Jack." She told him. "I hate sitting still."

She tried to sit up, but Jack put his hand on her shoulder, guiding her back down so that she was laying down. "Oh no," He told her. "You're staying right there."

"I have issues with sitting still." She complained.

"I've noticed." He said simply.

"I feel fine now, Jack." She told him when he continued to check her over.

"Kate, you're whiter than the book pages." He told her.

"They're old, though!" She said defensively. "It's hard not to be whiter than them."

Jack sighed. "You need to start taking it easy, Kate." He said tiredly. "You need to relax more."

"I can't just sit here on my own all day!" She groaned.

"You're not going to be here on your own." He said, shaking his head. "I'm here until Sayid turns up for his shift tonight."

"Please, Jack?" She begged of him. She'd rather take the feeling of being ill for weeks than spend so long having to lie down doing nothing.

He looked at her firmly, not backing down in the slightest. "You're resting, Kate. Doctors orders."

She frowned grumpily, and folded her arms over her chest. "I knew there's a reason why I never liked doctors." She complained bitterly.

He smiled sweetly at her. "Just doing my job."

She glared at him. "Are you proud of yourself?"

Jack nodded. "Completely." She pouted at him, abandoning her irritating for begging once again. He thought it was rather amusing to see her this way; he wouldn't have taken her for a begger. "Kate, I don't want to come down hard on you, but you can't wear yourself out like this. If you're not going to listen to me, then you should at least listen to your body." He told her.

"I listened to my body once." She informed him casually.

"Once?" He questioned.

"It's not really that communicative." She said.

"Oh yeah?"

"Last time I heard from it, I was sixteen." She told him. "I said to it 'Body, how would you like to go to a class in vigourours toning at six-thirty tomorrow morning?'. It didn't have a lot to say on the matter, but it was very clear."

"What did it say?"

"Something along the lines of 'Listen, bitch, do it and die'."

Jack laughed, and changed his position from standing beside her to sitting on the edge of the bed next to her. He dared not move too far away from her in case she made a desperate bid for freedom. "Well, look on the bright side." He told her. "At least you didn't collapse when you were with Sawyer."

She scoffed. "He might have literally kicked me when I was down." She dreaded.

"And I would have kicked his ass for it."

She gave him a slightly amused look. "Really?"

"I've seen the way he is with you. He just takes advantage of you, Kate. Why do you put up with him?"

She shrugged. "I dunno." She muttered. "I think it's just what I'm used to."

Jack sighed. "Never had much luck with men?"

Kate shook her head. "Which is why I'm approaching my thirties and am still single." She revealed.

"Same here." He agreed, and she raised a curious eyebrow at what he had said. "Well, luck with women, rather than men...and I'm already in my thirties."

"Oh, how old?" She asked, like an excited child.

"Thirty-two." He told her, knowing that she'd only give him the third degree if he didn't tell her.

"Twenty-seven." She countered.

She was only five years younger than him. He looked at her, really looking at her rather than just glancing at her face. She was amazingly beautiful, even when she was slightly pale. Her forest green eyes were glittering brightly, and her freckles were clearly showing against her skin. When he was this close to her, he could really see just how many freckles she had. No wonder Sawyer had such an endearing nickname for her.

"I'm surprised you're not married, or engaged or something." Jack said, wondering afterwards whether he should lead their conversation down this road. After all, it was dangerous territory with them.

"How come?" She asked him, curious as to why he thought that.

"You're a beautiful woman, Kate, inside and out." She blushed at his comment. She'd been called a pretty girl by drunk men in bars before, and Wayne had called her beautiful from time to time, but Jack was calling her a beautiful woman. Just hearing it from his lips sent shivers down her spine. "Any sensible man would snatch you up and keep you for himself."

Remembering her previous marriage lasting only a few months, she tried to make her blush fade, finding that she couldn't. "Somehow, I don't think that's happening. Not for me." She brushed off.

"Well, someone's sure as hell trying." Jack told her.

"Huh?"

"Just something a little bird told me." He backtracked innocently, standing up from the bedside now that she was occupied enough not to move. "Apparently, word has it that some guy is out to win your heart." He revealed to her as he went to get another glass of water for her.

"Oh really?" She asked, turning her head to follow him, raising it off the pillow slightly and propping herself up on her forearms.

"He just can't think of how to do it." Jack told her.

"Who is it?" She asked curiously.

He held up his hands. "Sorry, I've been sworn to secrecy." He lied.

"Aw, come on!" She protested.

"Not telling." He insisted.

"There's some guy out there who likes me, and you're not even going to tell me who it is?" She asked incredulously.

"Nope." He grinned.

He filled the glass of water, and went back over to sit beside her. He placed the glass on the table beside her whilst she looked curiously at him, trying to read his mind.

"Is he going to make me happy?" She questioned, determined to find at least something out about this mystery man.

"Happier than you've ever been in your life." Jack answered.

"Is he cute?" She smiled.

"Gorgeous."

"Does he love me?"

Jack contemplated this thought. "Love's a strong word..." He thought. "...but yeah, he loves you."

She smiled, hiding her blush successfully this time. "He's in love with me, and you're still not going to tell me who-?"

She was interrupted in her arguement by a pair of soft lips covering her own. It took her a moment, but she eventually realised that Jack was kissing her, and kissed him back. Bringing her hand to the back of his neck, she pulled him closer to her whilst allowing his tongue entrance to her mouth. The kiss was long and passionate, both of them very willing for it, but when things started to develop into gentle caresses, Jack pulled away.

"Does that answer your question?" He asked her.

She smirked at him. "Your ego is huge, you know that?" She teased him.

"I've been told." He nodded.

She smiled, kissing him gently again. "So...love, huh?"

"Yeah...love." He whispered against her lips, before capturing them again.

Suddenly, Kate was more than willing to stay in bed until Sayid came for his shift.


End file.
